Furia Rubel Event Photos

About Furia Rubel

Furia Rubel is a public relations (PR) and marketing agency representing law firms nationwide. We're located in Doylestown, outside of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Contact us at http://www.furiarubel.com/ or call (215) 340-0480.

“The addition of these talented attorneys reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to providing effective continuity and efficiency in the representation of our clients in the financial services arena in New York and New Jersey,” said law firm shareholder, James E. Shepard, Esq. “These associates are knowledgeable and successful advocates in forums ranging from the courtroom, to alternative dispute resolution such as arbitration and mediation, and we are proud to welcome them to the firm.”

Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP Senior Marketing Manager Shannon Mayforth will serve as a social media panelist at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 3rd Annual Women in the Profession Summit, “21st Century Issues for the 21st Century Woman Lawyer,” to be held at the Wanamaker Building in Philadelphia on June 16, 2010, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mayforth, who possesses nearly 10 years of marketing, communications and business development experience, will lend her expertise from the accounting and tax industries perspectives to the panel discussion, “Women Lawyers & Social Media – Ethics, Privacy, and Social Media.” Moderated by Gina F. Rubel, Esq. of the Philadelphia-area Public Relations and Marketing firm Furia Rubel Communications, the discussion will address the use of social media as a law firm and attorney marketing tool, with a focus on related ethical and legal concerns. To learn more about the event, visit http://www.pbi.org/.

YouTube’s Show and Tell channel offers a unique way for users to familiarize themselves with some YouTube marketing best practices.

By following the story of YouTube car, users get an interactive tutorial of how to best use the site to market their brand. Show and Tell focuses on four main ways to market one’s brand, including:

Interactive Video: using high quality video and annotations which come in the form of text bubbles, notes, and spotlights which link to other content on YouTube throughout the video, marketers can better engage their target audience.

Brand Channels: essentially act as a customizable homepage for the brand where all content can be kept and shared. YouTube users can subscribe to the channel and receive notifications when new videos are uploaded.

Viral Hits: probably the most illusive form of YouTube marketing. The goal is to upload unique content that users will share virally. If it in someway promotes your brand- so much the better.

YouTube is a major asset when launching brand campaigns or promoting a product. The Show and Tell channel offers some great examples of brands that have had success marketing on YouTube. In addition to those they list, I would encourage readers to take a look at Toyota’s Sienna channel and learn all about the “Swagger Wagon” (a video which to date has 2,471,465 views).

A recent New York Times’ article, "We Have Met the Enemy and He is PowerPoint” discussed the overuse of confusing PowerPoint presentations in the military. I don't think that the problem lies with PowerPoint presentations but instead the way the presenter designs them. Preziprovides the means to add a new twist to speeches, allowing the audience to stay focused and engaged in what the speaker has to say. Check this new tool out and be sure to add it to your PR toolkit!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Social media giant Facebook is in hot water this week amidst more allegations that it has leaked users’ personal information to third party advertising companies like Google’s DoubleClick and Yahoo’s Right Media (both Google and Yahoo said they were unaware that they were receiving this data and have not used it).

After an article published by the Wall Street Journal alleged that networks like Facebook and Myspace were sharing their users’ data with third parties, i.e. a person's real name, age, hometown and occupation, both companies modified their practices. On Thursday Facebook went as far as to rewrite some of the code in question.

According to Ben Edelman, an assistant professor at HarvardBusinessSchool, "If you are looking at your profile page and you click on an ad, you are telling that advertiser who you are." While it is standard practice in Internet advertising for some data to be shared when a user clicks on an ad, personal information is never supposed to be shared with third party sites. Facebook's privacy policy is supposed to prohibit that.

As Facebook has moved toward making user profiles more public and searchable on the Web their privacy policy has become a major issue for many users. Some have gone as far as to launch an anti-Facebook page and website encouraging users to delete their Facebook accounts on May 31.

Others, including NYU students Daniel Grippi, Maxwell Salzberg, Ilya Zhitomirskiy and Raphael Sofaer, are now working on Facebook alternatives which will give users total control over their information and protect their privacy. The team set a goal to raise $10,000 by June 1 and have already far surpassed it raising more than $100,000 to fund the development of a new social networking site, the anti-Facebook, they say.

From both a personal and professional standpoint, Facebook can be a wonderful tool. On the social networking site brands have been built, grassroots movements have been launched, and people have connected from all over the world. I’ve been a Facebook user practically since its inception when you could only join with a university email address, but the lack of regard for users’ privacy and the sneakiness they sometimes exhibit when modifying their privacy policies is truly disappointing.

For those concerned about their privacy on Facebook, Mashable offers great tips for protecting your information as much as possible. I urge you to check it out.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Gone are the days when a law firm, business or individual only had to worry about reserving their domain name on the web. Now with Twitter handles, Facebook fan pages, Youtube channels, blogs and the like, legal marketers are faced with the challenge of securing their firm's name and protecting the integrity of their brand on countless social media sites.KnowEm is a great tool to help legal marketers meet this challenge. The site allows you to reserve your name on hundreds of social media sites. Simply enter in search terms, so for example we might enter, "Furia Rubel," or "ThePRLawyer," and then KnowEm conducts a search over 350 social media networks to see where your name is already in use. The service offers both free and subscription plans.

Even if your firm is still on the fence over whether to use Twitter, let's say, by securing your firm's name you leave the door open for future use and prevent others from squatting or scooping up your firm's name on it or other emerging social media sites.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Generational expert and President of K HR Solutions in Harleysville, Pa., Kim Huggins will address “Communicating with Clients Across Generations” at the Bucks County Bar Association on June 3, 2010 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Huggins will discuss how communicating with clients and workplace colleagues is changing rapidly. The options for communication, such as telephone, e-mail, text messaging and “snail mail,” are many and, from a generational standpoint, preferences vary. The program, offered by the Women Lawyers Division of Bar Association, will help the audience increase their knowledge and understanding of the various communication styles and preferences of different generations. Huggins will also explore how the audience can build more effective relationships with their clients and colleagues.

Breakfast and registration will be offered at 8 a.m. The registration fee for Bar members is $30 and $45 for non-members. Attendees will receive one substantive CLE credit for participating. For more information on the event or to sign up, contact Bar Association representatives at 215-348-9413. For more information on Kim Huggins, visit www.khrsolutions.com.

Friday, May 14, 2010

We are pleased to share with our friends and colleagues that Furia Rubel has been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the top philanthropic givers in the publication’s 2011 Book of Lists. The firm was honored along with other top corporate givers at the Corporate Philanthropy Summit where Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter congratulated the recipients. Senior Account Manager Leah Rice accepted the award on the firm's behalf.

The Philadelphia Business Journal, a weekly newspaper covering breaking business news in the Greater Philadelphia region, compiles a Book of Lists, which provides listings of hundreds of the most cutting edge area companies in their fields by ranking. The Corporate Givers List recognizes the area’s top contributors of service hours, monetary donations and in-kind donations across industries.

“Giving back speaks to the core values of our agency and staff,” said PRLawyer, Gina F. Rubel, President and CEO. “We support up to three pro bono clients each year while encouraging all staff members to participate in furthering various worthy causes.”

In 2008, Furia Rubel donated more than 1,450 hours of service, $1,405 in cash contributions and more than $180,000 in-kind to community and nonprofit organizations. The agency offered pro bono public relations and marketing services to support the endeavors of Elephant’s Eye Artists Studio Tour, Philadelphia VIP (Volunteers for the Indigent Program), Deep Run Mennonite Church East, and Bucks Fever Film Fest.

The Philadelphia Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy Summit gathers the region's leading business and civic leaders to share best practices about philanthropy and community engagement. The summit featured guest appearances by Mayor Michael Nutter and WTFX-TV FOX 29 News Anchor Kerri-Lee Halkett and Jim Ellis, Innercity Swim Coach & Inspiration to the well-acclaimed movie PRIDE, served as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live this week. For anyone who hasn't seen it yet and wants a good laugh, I encourage you to check it out.

At age 88, White was an unlikely host. Her appearance was prompted by a grassroots campaign launched through a Facebook page to get the comedian and actress on SNL after she appeared in a Snickers Superbowl commerical. Yet another example of the power of social media. . .

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

I´m pleased to share with ThePRLawyer audience another amazing tool for public relations and marketing professionals called posterous.com. This website is designed for just about anyone to post music, videos, pictures and content on the Internet just by sending an email. There are options for first-time bloggers with simple instructions to get started and more advanced options for seasoned blogging experts.

Getting started is easy, sign up by sending an introductory email to posterous@posterous.com with the option to attach files like photos or videos and voilá! The reply is almost instant and you are set up with your very own part of the information superhighway. A variety of platforms (up to 30!) such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and/or Picasa can be integrated with your posterous. Once set up, you control where your information is going to be posted. It´s just that quick and easy.

Duct Tape Marketing´s John Jantsch explains the benefits for users by pointing out that "for many people, particularly those that rely on email as their primary communication and storage tool, this is a great way to create and curate content." Jantsch also points out that posterous can be used as a hub for distribution with easy options to pick and choose what information to post and which platform it will be sent to.

Social media expert, Steve Rubel, first wrote about posterous in a post on June 25, 2009 saying he was giving up traditional blogging for posterous' "Lifestreaming" ease of use. His blog, now fully based on posterous proves to be a social media and public relations goldmine of resources. Shortly after reading this post last summer, I decided to explore my own posterous and use it to supplement my personal posts on Facebook and Twitter. I was amazed at the easy of posting!

In addition, posterous has rolled out the new Facebook "like" button feature that can be added in posts. It's surprisingly simple to add to your posterous website. Check out the posterous blog for more information. Another neat feature is linking Google reader and posterous. Rubel explains how to easily share content between the two sites at his blog here.

I hope you take a minute to check out posterous and consider it as another tool in your PR toolbox for sharing news and events with your clients.

Short Corporate VideosA company video, professionally produced, will engage your audience online in a different way than written marketing copy placed on a web page.

Video Product ReviewsSharing opinions and discussing product usage is now a primary focus when shopping online. Typically found in written form, reviews on video enable users to visually show product features and enhancements.

Personalized VideoSegmenting your audience and speaking to them directly via video is a great way to focus your advertising and communication efforts on a target market.

Marketing Technique VideosThis type of video content can help establish and support thought-leadership in a particular area.

Videos in E-mail MarketingThese are very powerful sales tools if used correctly. When embedding video in e-mail campaigns, use an online provider that fully supports this service.

Videos on Your WebsiteIf optimized and tagged correctly, videos placed on your website will support your company in targeted search engine results.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Despite the economic recession we find ourselves in, there are still companies and business professionals out there supporting their communities with monetary donations and good deeds. We stumbled across some examples of philanthropic goodness among a handful of our clients this week and thought we would share their community outreach efforts with you.

Each year, the staff of Philadelphia personal injury law firm Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig donates time, funds and/or needed items to a local charitable organization in honor of the firm’s efforts to build better lives for others. The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House was the most recent recipient of the staff’s efforts, receiving more than $500 in monetary donations and a bevy of items collected as part of a 2009 Wish List Drive organized by Kathleen Aretz. The wish list items included retail gift cards, cameras, batteries, infant care items, electronics and toys valuing several thousand dollars.

Stanley Goldis, a Philadelphia CPA and partner with Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, was recently thanked by Bala Cynwyd Library for providing pro bono tax return services. Since 1992, Goldis has provided annual accounting services. He also served as the library’s treasurer for 10 years. When Goldis, a Bala Cynwyd resident, was asked why he feels that it is important to share his professional talents with organizations in his community, he said, “I was taught by my father that you have to give back to the community where you live. It is your obligation to help those less fortunate.”

Goldis also handles pro bono work in an advisory capacity for Chasdei Eliyahu, a nonprofit in Wynnewood, Pa., that accepts donations of furniture, clothing, kosher food, money and automobiles for needy members of the Greater Philadelphia community. He serves on the endowment committee for Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia and on the board of directors for the Stern Hebrew High School in Philadelphia. He was honored at the inaugural dinner of Ohr Shalom Synagogue, in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, for his efforts in the establishment of a permanent facility there. An avid cyclist, Goldis has participated in the Wheels of Love bicycle ride to benefit Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem.

Thank you for being stewards of hope to our Philadelphia-area communities in these tough times.